Saudi Arabia eyed for our buai

National

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
NATIONAL Capital District Governor Powes Parkop plans to export betel nuts to Saudi Arabia in a bid to stop its sale in Port Moresby.
“I have got advice to sell betel nuts to Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East,” he said.
“I will buy betel nuts from Mekeo, Kairuku in Central and Kerema in the Gulf and export them there,” he said.
“The NCDC (National Capital District Commission) will generate millions of kina to export betel nuts there.” Parkop said on Friday during the ground-breaking ceremony of the K20million 6-Mile market that selling betel nuts was not the only way to survive in Port Moresby.
“I know you are selling betel nuts for a living but please leave that business. You are making the city dirty and filthy,” he said. “If you sell it in a clean way, I will not complain. But you are making money selling betel nuts and giving me the rubbish to clean up.
“That’s why I’m angry and had put the ban on betel nuts.”
Parkop said there was a big campaign against him for banning the sale of betel nuts in Port Moresby and was told that he would lose his seat in the general election.
“But I won and I will still win in 2022 even if I still ban the selling of betel nuts. I have nothing to lose. But you betel nut sellers will lose.”